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Surfing (in Hawaiian ‘he'e nalu’ or ‘sliding on waves’) is a water sport where the athlete is ‘riding’ the waves with the means of a surf board. This technique involves gliding in an upright position on the board along the wall of the wave. It is possible to perform a series of manoeuvres depending on the speed and form of the wave. The dimensions of boards vary according to the stature and weight of the athlete, but also on the preferred style of the surfer and the height of the wave. So-called ‘gun boards’ are used to ride the biggest waves; these are very long and are pointed on both ends due to the fact that sometimes the wave can be steep and high so that only the front tip and the board fin have contact with the wave wall. Most modern surf boards are made out of special polyurethane foams which are resistant to UVA rays (with one or more wooden strips or ‘stringers’), fiberglass cloth, and polyester resin. Thanks to the latest technology, there are also epoxy boards available today, which are stronger and lighter than traditional boards made of polyester resin and fiberglass (the last mentioned material is just a supportive coat impregnated with resin). The most classical and fluid surf style is the one performed with the ‘longboard’: this is with a very long board with a rounded nose, reminiscent of the earliest surfboards of whose original style was lost in the past. ‘Longboarding’ is widespread throughout the world and is now a discipline in competitions.   

HISTORY OF SURFING
The first historical record goes back to the logbook and journals of Captain Thomas Cook who discovered Hawaii. He described the activities of the Polynesians who on wooden surfboards were riding on the crest of the waves, and were reported to have had a lot of fun in doing so. The first primitive boards were constructed with just three hollow trunks tied to each other, with the bow pointing upwards. In the course of colonization by Calvinist missionaries, the surf sport was banned due to the fact that the Polynesians were surfing naked. The surf sport again caught public attention between the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. The Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku contributed considerably to the proliferation of the ‘surfing from Hawaii’ throughout the whole world. Talent scouts identified him as a potential swimming champion and he introduced his surf sport during his trips as a top athlete to the coasts of the U.S. and Australia. The most considerable diffusion of surfing took place in the sixties and seventies, when the waves were ridden with the ‘longboards’. A turning point represented the invention of ‘shortboards’, smaller in size and with three fins or ‘thrusters’.  Since the mid eighties until today, techniques have developed in particular with regards to speed and the evolution of manoeuvres, the complicated jumps called ‘aerials’. The most famous surfing personality on international level was Greg Noll, also known as “Da Bull”. Today, a new star is shining among the surfing stars: Kelly Slater won in 2006 for the eighth time the professional world championships.

SURFERS
Special attention should be paid to the groups of surfers who are not so homogenous as it might seem from the outside. Surfers in fact are divided into different categories according to age, capabilities, equipment, origins as well as different preferences for the wave and spot. For instance, a longboarder will prefer round waves, which are less steep and slower, whereas a shortboarder will look for fast waves, almost vertical walls and possibly with a tube – or a ‘barrel’ that forms before a high wave breaks. Participants who just joined recently are called ‘grommets’ or ‘gremlins’ due to the high speed with which they multiplied in numbers in recent years. A surfer who comes from that area where he practices this sport is called ‘local’.

TERMINOLOGY OF SURFING
The surf slang is typically English. "Tube riding” represents one of the most spectacular techniques and consists of surfing into a position where the wave curls over the top of the surfer while staying inside the tube and then surf out before the wave collapses. The wave must close quickly; otherwise no tube will be created. The expression ‘spot’ indicates the site where you can practise this water sport. One of the most important features of the spot is the bottom composition, which gives the wave its form. We distinguish between ‘beach break’ with a sandy bottom, ‘rocky break’ or 'point break’ with a rocky bottom, ‘reef break’ with a coral reef and finally the ‘artificial break’ where the wave breaks due to artificially built barriers such as a harbour or a pier.  Usually, waves form in a less predictable manner in beach break areas, whereas you can easily identify where the wave breaks with the other bottom types. Here, the waves all start to break in the same way. The ‘line up’ is the area where surfers position themselves to ‘take’ the wave and is the point where the wave starts breaking, thus making the wall steep and surfable. The ‘duck dive’ consists of diving below the wave, imitating the movement ducks do when swimming against the current. This manoeuvre is necessary to reach the line up zone starting from the beach. The ‘leash’ is the elastic rope that connects the stern of the board to the surfer’s ankle. This rope guarantees that the athlete does not loose the board after falling into the water and its elasticity avoids dangerous lesions to the surfer’s leg. The ‘wax’ is a paraffin applied on the board surface to keep a surfer's feet from slipping off the deck of the board and to increase the board’s manoeuvrability. The ‘nose’ at the bow is the front part of the board and its shape determines the board’s characteristics. A very pointed nose gives the board a higher manoeuvrability, but less stability. The ‘tail’ is the stern part of the board and can have a coarse surface (usually made out of plastic) to further increase the sturdiness of the feet on the board. The ‘take off’ indicates the start once you paddled out and are ready to take a wave; the higher the wave the steeper the take off. An ‘aerial’ is a difficult manoeuvre which consists of making use of the wave as a springboard to start a jump. ‘To drop’ means blocking a surfer who has already started taking a wave, the surfer positions himself in front of the other and thus ‘steals’ the wave. ‘To wipe out’ (in the sense of ‘delete’) indicates a particularly awkward fall from the board. ‘Swell’ is the technical term indicating heavy or breaking sea; this is an increase in height and frequency of the waves which is usually due to the presence of a storm more or less close to the main land.